[PODCAST 14]: Three Questions to Help You Chart Your Course

I received a couple of emails last week asking for specifics about my scripture study and how we can each have more God in our lives.

This podcast is in response to those questions, and I hope it will be helpful to each of you.

At LearnDoBecome, we’re focused on strengthening families, and our content is created in a principle-based way so we can find common ground and strengthen each other–even when our backgrounds and religious beliefs may differ. Creating a community where family-centered individuals can gather and learn from one another means a lot to us, and we’re so glad you’re here.

These are the three concepts I cover in the podcast:

(1) The goal of scripture study is to connect.

While it’s great to have charts, lists, and detailed plans to make our study more deliberate, if I had to pick one focus for my daily study, it’s to feel a close connection with God. (I’ll share the details in the podcast!)

(2) We need to get in the habit of asking powerful questions.

Going to holy text with a question in mind has been extremely helpful to me. It allows me to focus my thinking and helps me apply what I learn directly to my life. I’ve been using Google Docs and Evernote to record my questions, and the Lord is so kind to answer every single one of them (though His answers do not always come in the way I would expect).

(3) These three questions will hopefully help you as much as they helped me…

I attended a conference for women several years ago, and one of my favorite mentors in the whole world, Julie Beck, challenged us to read the scriptures with these three questions in mind:

Who am I?

What are my responsibilities (to God)?

How can I best fulfill those responsibilities?

It took me two years to do this, but the result blessed my life more than I can explain. I mentioned in the podcast that I would include a couple of photos here in the post, so here’s what my post-it notes looked like at the beginning of my study:

And here’s what I had for just one of the three questions by the end of the two years:

LearnDoBecome Challenge: I would love for you to go through the exercise outlined above. Or maybe you’ll want to tailor it to better meet your needs right now.

My main purpose in writing and recording this is to help each of us to more fully access the help, hope, and support that is readily available–and so willingly given from God.

I send my love and hope that this podcast will lift you today.

-April

P.S. If you haven’t joined us “formally” here at LearnDoBecome, please sign up for our “Five Habits” download. It will give you a good feel for who we are and what we’re doing here on the site, and then we’ll keep you up-to-date on future posts and podcast!

This helped me so much today, I have been struggling with a few things lately and this helped me put a whole new perspective on it. I love Julie Beck she is a favorite of mine also. Thank you so much for sharing this.

Loved your idea of reading scriptures until you connected. I did that yesterday. Truly some days are shorter and others are longer. I know God knows what’s on our time table when we truly open our hearts to Him and make it priority to connect to Him. Thanks for sharing.

April, I can’t wait to get started. Thank you! You have such a tender way of speaking and sharing! You remind me of some of my scripture heroes who claim to be slow of speech, and I read their words and hear yours and I laugh. You speak from the heart and that is powerful! Thank you for sharing such a profound personal treasure with all of us!!

April! Once again you inspire me. Keep going with your feeling to build this community. We need this. I NEED THIS. Thanks for letting God lead your life so that others are touched and inspired to do and become MORE!

Wednesday: I got to sleep around 10pm Tuesday night and naturally woke up at 5am Wednesday. So I studied from 5-5:45.

Thursday: I was up late Wednesday night and didn’t get up until 6, when my children were up, and I wanted to spend the morning with them while they got ready for school. So I waited until they left for the day and studied for 15-20 minutes before I needed to jump into a meeting.

Friday: I was up for a couple of hours with a stomachache on Thursday night, and so I slept in that morning and totally missed the kids. (Eric got them off to school.) The day was literally back-to-back meetings and activities, so I studied my scriptures for about 10 minutes before going to bed that night.

Saturday: I had to go grocery shopping at 7am because we had a family outing planned. I took my scriptures with me to the store, read them for 10 minutes in the car quietly before going in, and then listened to a spiritual podcast while I shopped for groceries.

My goal is always 45 minutes of personal study and 15 minutes of family study, but that doesn’t always happen. No guilt, though! I just do the best I can because I love it. 🙂

I loved this! Thank you! In the last year or so, I started keeping a “Ponder/Pray/Waiting on the Lord” list with my waiting list that has all my life questions and unsolved problems written on it. Now I need to take the idea of specifically studying each one. I have found that over time answers have come and issues have been resolved.

Thank you SO much for sharing! I’m sure it’s so hard to put yourself out there and share such intimate experiences with the Lord. I applied several of your ideas today for scripture study and it truly improved my experience so much!

I went for a run this morning & was trying to decide whether to listen to a faith based, or mum focused podcast when I came across this link in my email. I was almost brought to tears at the end. As a fairly new Christian this feels like a very helpful, but simple idea. I really hope I can put it into practice. Thank you.

Karen, I feel so privileged to have been a part of your run today, and I love that you are actively seeking to hear God’s voice in your life. What an inspiration you are! So, so happy to have you here at LearnDBecome. Much love and appreciation! -April

I loved this! Thank you for sharing and inspiring me. Do you mind sharing the title of the Julie Beck talk you referenced? I would love to listen to it if available. I’m excited to start changing my scripture study!

I’ve listened to this several times now, and to Julie Beck’s talk too. Thank you SO MUCH for sharing this, I really needed it. I think I’ve told about 50 people to listen to it. Thanks for inspiring without overwhelming, I especially loved the part about making a connection with God in whatever time you can manage in the midst of a busy life by making it a priority.

Michelle, this sweet comment meant the world to me! I am so, so grateful to have you with us at LearnDoBecome. The Lord is so, so good to each of us, and I am constantly amazed at the mercy and grace I feel from Him–even when I am so weak on my own. Your enthusiasm lifts me! Thank you, thank you!

Dear sweet April, I am encouraged by your questions and your powerful testimony. The Lord is indeed faithful to show Himself to us when we seek Him with all our heart and to give us wisdom when we need it! Thanks for sharing your powerful, inspiring story, precious child of God! Much love, Jules

April, I ‘met’ you and Eric today on your steps for piles (probably not the official title) webinar. I was the one hilariously and accidentally titled ‘for the rest of you’. While the information might have been for everyone else as well, it was definitely for me as well.
Last Wednesday I verbalized that if I was to continue _______ I had to increase my time management and organizational skills. I’m at a rock and hard place with ______ and have to decide in which direction I’m going. On Facebook this morning I saw the ad for your webinar ‘this’, I need to watch this. I got inklings through your and Eric’s word choices that you fucus on something even bigger than organization of our homes, offices, or even time. You mentioned the words ‘your life’s purpose’ – interest intrigue. Because while organization has been a long time quest and journey for me, more importantly is what would God have me do to, what is my purpose. That’s not something I would have ever gone to the internet for help for.
After receiving the receipt for my purchase I went to the website link and found a treasure trove of I formation: life architecture, pod casts galore, they DO do more than piles and email clearing, I knew it. You’re pod casts have accompanied me on different tasks today. I listened to 17 and I just finished 14, and this is THE one, charting your course. Of course I’m going to use these tools, and I’m coupling it with direction from Russel M Nelson about setting time aside each week to purely learn of Christ, starting with every title he has and reading every scripture about him.
Wow, this is a long comment, I apologize.
I have immediate choices to make, and this took you 2 years 🙂 BUT I’m confident that as I take these steps my course will be made known and his timing will be perfect.
With love,
Thank you.

Lacy, I wish I could write you a whole long comment back! 🙂 But please accept a huge virtual hug from us here at LearnDoBecome. We’re THRILLED you found this community and can’t wait to get to know you more. Welcome, welcome!!

April, I truly think your podcasts will continue to inspire people for years.
I am so happy to be able to take you on my walks “with me”.
Thank you for what you do. You are making a difference in my life.
May the LORD continue to bless you and your family.
Sincerely, Masha

Masha, your kind words gave me such a lift today! Thank you for taking time to write to me. So many times I just never know who is on the other side of the podcast. Thrilled to be part of your walks. 🙂 Much love!! (And please feel free to email me regarding what kinds of topics you’d like me to address on future episodes!)

You and your family have been an answer to prayers in more ways than you’ll ever know! Thank you for your commitment to sharing your gifts and talents with the world, and for equipping and encouraging others to do the same! There is no doubt in my mind that the Lord looks down on you and is pleased! 🙂

As I prepare to go on a journey with the Lord to discover my unique purpose, I am planning to use the technique that you’ve described in your podcast to do just that. My question – what book of scripture did you start with? Or, do you have any suggestions on where to start? If I understand you correctly, over the course of the 2 years, did you read through the entire Bible and use this technique of answering the 3 questions?

I look forward to hearing back! Thanks again for being you and for serving the Lord through sharing your talents with the world!

Molly, thank you so much for sharing your comment here. I appreciate all your support, and I am so excited that you are on the journey to discover YOUR unique purpose! As far as which book of scripture to begin with, I think it’s whichever one calls to you the most. You could just go through the book of John, for example, or you could start from the beginning of the bible–or you could do any order you’d like. 🙂 I personally started with The Book of Mormon, then the Bible. What I love is that this works for people of all religions and backgrounds, and as long as we feel greater peace, joy, and clarity throughout the process, we’ll know we’re “doing it right.” Thank you for being with us here at LearnDoBecome!!